Book travel

When keeping pace with street life becomes all too much, and you need somewhere to catch your breath and reflect, City Hall has just the right kind of empty grandeur. Entering through the main Dame Street portico, you find yourself in Thomas Cooley's large domed atrium, complete with mosaic floor and sweeping staircases. Around the central space are frescoes by James Ward, showing scenes from the history of Dublin, such as the Battle of Clontarf, and four marble statues, one of which is Daniel O'Connell, taken in out of the rain from its original perch beside what is now the Central Bank. Carvings and stuccowork are equally lovely. In the basement is the Story of the Capital, an exhibition detailing the city's history of government, and a tiny café.